It Takes a Village

It Takes a Village

We have all heard the phrase, “It takes a Village.” This is very true on many different levels. As a parent you can’t do everything yourself and you can’t be all things to all people. Children and teens need a wide variety of helpers to get through life. They need to know there are others who can help them in a time when maybe for some reason their mom or dad cannot.

                As a parent you want to protect your child from harm and hurt. Part of that is helping your child or teen learn who they can trust in life. One thing I work on with children and teens to help them figure out who their support network is and who they can trust as we figure out who they can go to for help in many different places. So, for example if they are at school, or church, or with other supportive adults they can seek out when they need something.

                As parents it is okay to reach out for help and teach your children to do the same. Helping your child find those safe people is part of developing healthy relationships with others. So, in helping you as a parent and your child identify those “safe people” start talking about who is a safe person and why. What makes them a safe person?

                In the process of working with my clients as a child therapist I start asking my clients to identify who in their lives help them? Most of the time I get things like; mom, dad, aunts, uncles, siblings, grandparents, family friends, teachers, community members, and so on. Most of the time my clients can tell me who helps them and protects them, they know who is there for them and when. But it is a matter of helping them break down why they trust that person or go to that person for help.

                Then there is in some cases where a person who they once trusted is no longer there for whatever reason or a trusted person has done something to loose trust in the eyes of the child. For example leaving or abandoning them or hurting them in some way. This is part of the reason I help children find others who can help them then just one or two adults. It takes a village.

                So, as a trusted adult what are you doing to help other children and teens who need someone they can trust? You may be a stay at home mom (or dad) whose child has a friend who needs a place to hang out after school for a couple of hours. Why not your house? You could be helping out a single parent who may need an extra set of eyes, ears, or hands from time to time.

                You may be a teacher who makes it very clear to their students that you can be trusted and will help your students in any way you can. You may be a mentor or coach who has a child on your team who doesn’t have a dad. Do you have time to take that child fishing or to play at the park, or take them to dinner? You may have a neighbor who has lots of little ones and it struggling at Christmas. What can you do to help?

                Look around for ways to serve and help others. If everyone gave a little time, money, and help our world would be a much better place! Living in a small town and watching how people invest in each other and help each other is such a blessing to watch and be a part of. You don’t have to have lots of money to make an impact in a child’s life. Every boy needs an uncle and every girl needs an aunt. Join the village to make an impact.

Mean Girls

Mean Girls

When we hear the words “mean girls” we think of some snotty girl who is so mean and seems to just get away with it. Girls of all ages get bullied everyday day. They get called names, all kinds of names, stupid, ugly, dumb, slut, whore, you get the idea. One of the problems comes is technology. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, all play a part in this. The bully does not give up. They post things online and say things in person, or they get their target’s phone number and start texting. The girl being bullied can’t escape. They are even told things like “do everyone a favor and just die.”

Another problem is that kids don’t seem to respect others. They are being taught either by word or example that being mean is the only way to get things they want. This applies in many situations with kids and teens. They want something so they just take it or talk someone into giving it to them. If they hear the word “no” their world comes to an end!

Girls can be very cruel to each other. They play games like “if your friends with Suzy, you are not my friend.” Or, “I liked Johnny first, you can’t have him.” They say things like, “If you don’t do this, we can’t be friends.” They try to manipulate the situation to get what they want. They do not care if they hurt someone in the process.

                Girls play these types of games from the time they are young. They become mean and talk badly about others. Or they say things like “I don’t want to be your friend anymore.” Then the next day they are friends again. This is normal relationships with girls. But, what isn’t normal are girls who are constantly saying these things or are trying to tell other girls that it is okay to lie or other things that they know they shouldn’t do.

                They tell the girls who want to be friends with them that it is okay to lie, steal, and cheat in order to get what you want. They have learned this is how to get their needs met. Then they tell other girls to do the same. This is not okay for kids to do.

                What can parents do to help? Well, first be aware of who your daughter is friends with. Know these friends well. Know who their parents are. Talk to your daughter from an early age about what is appropriate in friendships. Help these girls know that they have value and worth and to not just be friends with someone just because they are popular.

                Girls with self-esteem issues are an easy target. The girls who are the bullies are aware of which girls they can target and try to control. Help your daughter feel good about who they are no matter what someone else may tell them. I know this is a big job! Girls today are just bombarded with all kinds of views of what is considered beautiful, and if someone doesn’t fit that mold then there is something wrong with them and some girls will do whatever it takes to fit in.

                Help your daughter have a healthy view of who she is. Help her see beyond the mirror and into herself. There is more to a beautiful girl then looks. Beauty is on the inside, intelligence, well rounded interests, self-confidence. These are things that make a girl beautiful.

                Now, what to do about those bullies who don’t seem to stop? Well, for starters teach your daughter that it is okay to stand up for herself. Teach them to use their voice. They can tell the girl or girls who are bullying them to stop. They can say things like they don’t want to be friends with them anymore and truly mean it. Teach your daughter to have boundaries in her relationships, all relationships.

                The girls who bully need to know that this is not an okay thing to do. They need to understand that hurting others is not something young ladies do to each other. Also, keep in mind that most likely that girl, who is bullying others, probably has someone in her life who is bullying her. This does not make it okay, mind you, but the truth of the matter is that these girls get it from somewhere.

                Our girls listen more than you think they do. They are aware of how their moms and other adult women she is around interact with others. She will see what these adults do and think that is okay to do, when really it isn’t. Also, women who say, things like, “that is not okay to talk that way to me, or my child,” see that standing up for yourself is important, and that you as her parent are there to protect her.   

                We need to teach our girls that it isn’t okay to bully or hurt others. We also need to teach them when this happens who they can go to for help and that they need to stand up for themselves. We also need to teach them to love themselves and care for others. Teaching girls their self-worth and value as a preventive cure will go much further in life then teaching girls that it is okay to gossip and bully others.

Little People Big Feelings

Little People Big Feelings

We all know at least one kid who seems extra sensitive. They cry over the smallest of things, but, what to do for these kids who seem to cry and fall apart over things that seem so little or trivial. They have a hard time regulating their emotions. The parents are worn out and frustrated because they feel like they have messed up as a parent. 

What can be done to help? Some parents and caregivers feel helpless. Well, little ones need to learn what feelings are and how to deal with them. One of the biggest things I do when counseling children is help them identify their feelings and what to do when they have them. Kids feel those feelings they just don’t know what they are or how to deal with them.

So, the first step is to talk about feelings and help children identify when they are having feelings that don’t feel so good what they can do about it. So, if your child appears to be upset by something then acknowledge their feeling. Something like, “I see that you are angry. Is there something I can help you with?” Help your child label the feeling, if you can in the moment. I know this is easier said than done, especially when you the parent are upset too.

Some kids you can tell that their anger is just building and they are going to blow. Try to catch them before reaching that point. I know that this is hard at times and can’t always happen. I talk to kids all the time about feelings and help them say what they feel. This works well as long as their parent can listen to what they are feeling. If their parent does not listen to how they feel then children will not tell their feelings.

For some kids feelings can be very scary things, especially in cases that they are very sad, scared, or angry. These are very big feelings to deal with. A child’s reaction isn’t always going to go well. They are going to have meltdowns and fall apart. This is part of learning to deal with feelings.

Some kids let things bottle up so much that they keep things inside and they have other things happen like anxiety or depression. If kids are told for so long things like “oh, that isn’t how you feel,” or “your feeling is wrong.” They stop telling people how they feel. It comes out in different ways. They find unhealthy ways to cope with feelings.

Keep in mind when working with children who seem extra emotional; is there a reason for their extra emotions? What are they going through? What is happening to them or in their family that could be upsetting them? Changes or transitions in life can really cause disruption to a child’s routine. These could be little changes or big ones. But, keep in mind to little ones everything is a big deal. Adults need to be their safety net and help them learn to cope.

Please, asking as a mental health professional who works with these children, allow your child to have their feelings. They need to have their feelings acknowledged. Their feelings are their feelings. When you do this they will know that you are listening to them and can help them. They feel safe with you. This is what we all want to happen.  Help them talk through their feelings, even at the little age of three. Little people have feelings too!